19/02/2003 - After the death of Toscan, the French agency will temporarily be managed by the board. Jeanne Moreau's tribute

The Presidency of Unifrance remains vacant. The agency for the promotion of French cinema was decapitated when Daniel Toscan du Plantier died on 11 February in Berlin.
The Unifrance board - deputy presidents Romain Goupil and Jacques Le Glou, treasurer Marie Masmonteil and secretary Pierre-Marie Jouany – met on 17 February and decided on an interim period during which they will work closely with the director-general, Véronique Bouffard - prior to designating Toscan du Plantier’s successor. It is not known how long this interim period will last.
Unifrance has 39 members, including directors Patrice Leconte, Régis Wargnier and Claude Berri, producers Charles Gassot and Alain Terzian, and the president of Gaumont, Nicolas Seydoux, as well as Antoine de Clermont Tonnere, the head of the French Film Producers’ and Exporters’ Union.
On behalf of Unifrance, and the French film industry, Gallic film icon Jeanne Moreau paid tribute to Toscan du Plantier: "Daniel Toscan du Plantier chose Unifrance in 1988. From that time, he made the inspired decision to believe in the international destiny of French cinema. Patiently and tirelessly, for 15 years, he traveled the four corners of the world, encouraging French artists and professionals to do the same. He campaigned for the international movie scene to come within the reach of French cinema. It was in Berlin, where he wanted to see the future of European cinema conceived, that death took him from us. His drive and energy were infectious. His clear insight into the strengths and weaknesses of French cinema helps us to reflect and to move forward. He will be sorely missed. He is no longer here to guide us. But the spirit of what he has built remains, and it is this positive and determined vision that we must keep intact.”

(Translated from French)